The Wolf and the Raven
by Katarina Ariadne Navane
Summary: Ok this is a Hermione/Lupin fic. I am not--I repeat--NOT in favor of this pairing, just when a fic comes to me fully formed i have to write it. The first chapter can be taken as a one-shot. R&R please!
1. Default Chapter

Ok, first of all, I am not, I repeat NOT in favor of Hermione/Lupin. I merely wrote this because it sprung into my head almost fully formed, and whena good idea comes to me that easily, I write it down. Usually.   
  
This first chapter can be read as a one-shot which is why I have it alone.   
  
Lupin sat in the corner of the kitchen of Number 12 Grimauld Place, alone and staring absent-mindedly into his plate of meatballs, but he did not eat, seemingly lost in thought. Hermione had never seen anyone turn down a plate of Mrs. Weasley's meatballs before, so she sat down beside him. "What's wrong?" she asked. He said nothing, but grunted unhappily. "It's almost full moon, isn't it?" Lupin nodded. "What's it like? Being a werewolf, i mean." Hermione asked. Lupin shuddered apprehensively. "I'm sorry" Hermione managed. "I didn't mean to-" But Lupin smiled. "Curiosity and the thirst for knowledge is nothing to apologize for. Instead it should be rewarded with answers." Hermione smiled slightly at her former teacher's words. "It's horrible." he shuddered again. "The transformation, it's- It's like giant hands come down and force my body into positions it won't go into, crushing it. And as though a million needles were piercing my skin from the inside--Growing fur. You have no idea." "I know one thing," Hermione said thoughtfully. "I know what it's like to endure pain and be uncontrollably mean once a month." Lupin laughed, but then shuddered again as if remembering more torment. "Before James Peter and Sirius became Anamagi, it was even worse." he muttered, "I had this...urge to destroy, and nothing to take it out on but myself. Like the creature inside me was hungry, and I was it's only prey." He paused, shuttering, obviously reliving these many torturous nights. Hermione looked up into his face, her eyes welling up with tears. "You didn't deserve that," she said. "Nobody deserves that." Lupin added. He looked down on the girl, and to him she looked so--so innocent. She hadn't had such hardship in her life, but he thought that, somehow, she understood him better than anyone had before. She looked up at him, eyes wide, and leaned forward slightly. She kissed him, gently on the lips, before turning away, blushing. "I'm sorry" she said again, very quickly.   
  
Lupin smiled. "Again, Nothing to apologize for." he said.   
  
Review! Flames accepted, but if u liked it, please read the next chapter as well. 


	2. the rest

Here's the rest of it.   
  
Hermione turned her head slowly back to face him. Lupin put his arm around the still blushing hermione. He was about to say something, when the forgotten plate of meatballs which was still on his lap crashed to the ground. Hermione and Lupin broke out of their daze to see the unhappy eyes of all the Weasleys, Harry, Sirius, Mundungus, and Tonks staring at them. Lupin rapidly took his arm off from around hermione, and nervously began cleaning up the mess his dinner had made. Hermione, blushing brighter even than before, muttered undistinguishibly and ran off towards her bedroom. There was a pregnant pause, then the row began. Mrs. Weasley began screaming, adding to the din. "Lupin! You Pediophile! What do you think you were doing!" She seemed to have awakened, Sirius's mother who had just begun to scream ("Filthy Bloodtraitors and Mudbloods! Traitors to the Ancient and most Noble house of my ancesters!"). Sirius ran to curtain his mother's picture. Ron looked very shocked, then promptly passed out cold. Dung and the Twins looked momentarily shocked, then returned to their discussion on doxy venom. Ginny ran up after Hermione, her head buzzing with questions. Harry frantically attempted to revive ron, but to no avail. Lupin kept his head down, frantically cleaning up the meatballs and ignoring the screams from Mrs. Weasley.   
  
~*~   
  
For the next few days, Lupin avoided contact with Hermione.   
  
He refused to say a word to anyone about what had happened, and turned red and changed the subject whenever it was mentioned.   
  
And the next day, he took his potion and locked himself in his room, as it was the full moon.   
  
Hermione kept herself locked in her room for quite some time, emerging only for meals.   
  
Whenever she came out, she was muttering things like..."Lacewings, no, that won't do...now where did I put that book?"   
  
She remained primarily in her room for quite some time, and demanding some odd ingredients from sirius and the others.   
  
"Powdered root of wolfsbane, just to be sure..."   
  
~*~   
  
Many weeks later, she emerged acting as though nothing had happened and quite cheerful.   
  
She ran into Ron in the hall, and piped a "Good morning!"   
  
Ron grumbled. "It's 3:00 in the afternoon, and what are you so happy about?!"   
  
"Oh nothing." she said, and continued on.   
  
She encountered Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen. "What have you been up to? We've been so worried! All that smoke, and funny noises... Have some Lunch, dear. The sandwiches are quite good."   
  
"Thank you, but I'm looking for Lupin. Have you seen him?"   
  
"I think he's in the cellar, cleaning up those endless barrels of..." but hermione had already shouted "Thank you!" and scampered down to the cellar.   
  
"I've done it!" she cried, and before Lupin had the time to ask what it was she had done, she said "Watch!" and transformed into a raven with a small pop.   
  
His eyes grew wide as he watched her transform to a raven and back to herself again. "You-- You--!" he sputtered.   
  
"Yeah! It took ages, but I managed it! Now I can keep you company when you transform!"   
  
"But-- How did you--"   
  
He threw his arms around the girl, a bold smile on his tired, but seemingly renewed face.   
  
Hermione stood on her tip-toes to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek before letting her head settle on his shoulder. He pushed her away, saying "I can't, I-" but when he saw the look on her face, he muttered "Nevermind" and returned to the embrace.   
  
That's all I've written so far, I'll get to more later. Again, review! Flames accepted, short reviews accepted, good reviews and long reviews adored! 


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